A Tale of Silver and Gold
by starfireandskyfall
Summary: The son of Tessa and Jem and the daughter of Clary and Jace could be fated for only two things: Love, and disaster
1. Prologue

August 17th, 2016

Jem stood outside the room, pacing with agitation as he listened to the labored breathing resonating throughout the LA institute.

_Is she all right?_ He wondered nervously, vaguely remembering from long ago in his silent brother days, the difficult births of Will's children. How Tessa had labored, all those days ago, the births had taken hours upon hours, and he had held her hands through every moment. He longed with every fiber of his being to go into the room and comfort her, to hold her hand like he had done then, to urge her to push harder, to breathe more.

But as this birth was bringing his child into the world, by law, only silent brothers could be present.

And as he was no longer a brother, he was left outside to wonder about how Tessa was faring. The suspense was killing him.

Suddenly, there was a loud scream, and then: silence.

Jem held his breath for a solid minute before a loud cry pierced the heavy silence. He gulped in air, relief filling his lungs. He had hardly noticed the lack of oxygen, his nervousness overwhelming his body.

"Tessa!" He shouted, running to the door. It opened to him and he rushed into the small birthing room. He beheld a single bed against the back wall, a brown haired figure slumped amid the sheets. Brother Enoch, his pale bone colored robes nearly blending in with the white walls, placed a hand on his arm.

_She is well. Both her and the child. You may see them now._

Jem had the faintest sense that Brother Enoch was smiling, if he could have smiled. So he smiled warmly back at him, grateful for the good news. He ran to the bed where Tessa lay, falling to his knees at her bedside. Her long brown hair was strewn across the pillow, matted with sweat, and her face was strained with tiredness, but Jem felt she had never looked more beautiful. In her arms she held a small, well swaddled bundle with dark hair peeping out of the blue blanket.

"Jem," Tessa whispered, exhaustion tinging her sweet voice. "Meet Liam, your son."

At those words, Jem smiled so widely Tessa worried his face might break. She had only seen him look so ecstatic three times before: one, when she had agreed to marry him in London, two, when she had taken him with her after his time with the silent brothers had ended, and three, when she had said "I do" to him nearly 7 years ago at Blackfriars bridge.

"May I…?" His voice trailed off with uncertainty as he reached out for Liam. Tessa smiled and handed him over. He gingerly took him into his arms and cuddled him close to his chest.

"Liam." Jem whispered, almost reverently, as Liam wrapped his tiny hands around Jem's index finger.

"Short for William." Tessa softly replied. Jem gave a sharp intake of breath and a single tear rolled down the rune scar on his high cheekbones.

"A fitting name." He murmured, watching as baby Liam opened dark lashed eyes to gaze upon his father alertly. His eyes were the Tessa's gray, but flecked with brighter shades of silver, the way Jem's had once been. Jem looked steadily into his son's eyes as he quietly spoke. "Bright eyes and black hair. Like his namesake. He will be a great shadowhunter."

Tears stung Tessa's eyes as she watched her husband gaze at their son in wonder. "Jem…" She began. His now dark brown eyes snapped up to meet hers. They were filled with joy and awe. "I love you."

Jem hugged Liam a little closer to himself as he sat near Tessa on the bed. He smiled at her.

"I love you too. I've never been more proud." Tessa grinned, but her eyes were tired. "But for now, sleep, my love. Birthing is hard work. Sleep while you can." He placed his long fingers to her lips and traced them gently. "You will be a fine mother."

"And you will be a wonderful father." Tessa murmured, her eyes drooping with exhaustion, already fading off to sleep.

Jem sat holding Liam, remembering Will, and thinking of the future.

December 10th, 2018

"JACE! JACE I HATE YOU!"

Jace was standing outside the door of the birthing room in the New York Institute, listening to Clary scream through the door at him.

"HOW DARE YOU PUT ME IN SUCH PAIN."

"CLARY IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY YOU WERE QUITE PLEASED TO BE PUT IN THIS STATE" Jace shouted back at her, a mischievously wicked grin plastered on his face.

Jocelyn rolled her eyes as Jace continued to have high volume conversations with Clary.

"Only you would talk during labor." She muttered, remembering how quiet Clary's birth had been, and how loud her cries had echoed.

"JACE!" Clary shrieked, her scream reaching an unearthly pitch.

Then: silence.

Jace, who had been unsuccessfully trying to peek through the keyhole, suddenly stiffened as a child's cry echoed throughout the institute, the mischievous grin wiped clean off his face. As soon as the sound faded away, however, he was on his feet, pounding mercilessly on the door.

"BROTHER ENOCH! I heard the child! The birth is over! LET ME IN!"

A soft click, and the door opened. Jocelyn nearly giggled as she heard his echoing mind voice. If he could have made an exasperated face, she was sure he would have. Jace could try the patience of saints. Heaven knew how many times Jocelyn had wanted to smack some sense into him.

_Clary is fine. You may see her and the child now. _

Jace ran into the room, nearly pushing Brother Enoch out of the way.

"Clary!" Her red hair was falling out of its ties, curls going everywhere. She smiled brightly at him, a thin sheen of sweat on her brow.

"Jace, I fully blame you for this." She pretended to look stern, but then laughed softly as she cradled a white swaddled bundle in her arms.

"I take all responsibility." Jace replied, sitting gingerly at her side. He tentatively reached out and placed his long fingers on the small bundle. "Boy? Or girl?" He whispered, his gold eyes uncertain.

"Girl." Clary beamed, adjusting the blanket so Jace could see their little girl. Her soft tuft of blonde hair flopped gently as it was freed from its swaddle. "Seraphine. It means burning fire. Take one look at her eyes and you'll see." She whispered.

"Seraphine?" Jace called quietly. The baby stirred slightly, opening large eyes to reveal their color.

Jace let out his breath in a rush.

"Do you see her?" Clary's green eyes sparkled as she watched Jace. "She's beautiful."

Seraphine's eyes were gold, like Jace's but yet not like his at the same time. They seemed to reflect the light, or to glow with light from within.

"She will be our burning fire. It has been a while since we had to deal with that, right?" Jace chuckled as he thought back to the times he and Clary had struggled with combustion issues.

"Of course, of course." Clary lay her head back on the pillow. Jace took Seraphine from her, smiling from ear to ear.

"She is beautiful, Clary. I can see her beauty in you." Clary smiled, but exhaustion kept her eyes closed. Jace hummed a lullaby as she drifted to sleep.


	2. Of Violins and New Arrivals

June 23, 2022

An awful screech split the peaceful silence of the June afternoon.

"No, Liam, like this." Jem, with his seemingly infinite patience, repositioned Liam's fingers on the violin bow. He gently pulled his son's fingers with his own, letting the bow sing sweetly. "Now you try."

Liam's pale skin puckered as he bent his eyebrows in concentration. A slow pull, and music sounded. His silver gray eyes lit up.

"I did it! Dad, did you hear?" He chattered excitedly. Jem returned his happiness with a bright smile.

"Good, very good, my son." He tapped the bow lightly. "What note was that?"

"G!" Liam answered proudly. Jem nodded his approval.

"All right, that was G. Can you play the scale?" Tessa watched as Jem hovered over their six year old Liam. She held little Elka, their youngest, slumbering peacefully in her arms. It had been a lovely six years for Liam. She admired his spirit, a brightness not unlike Will's, but tempered with her and Jem's patience.

"Mama, look!" He came over to her and proudly began to sound out the G Major scale. Tessa smiled.

"Liam, your practice has paid off. I'm very proud. Soon you will be just as good as your father."

Jem smiled and ruffled Liam's dark, nearly black hair. "Ten more minutes, all right? Then you're done for today and we can do a bit of training."

"Okay!"

Liam was a slender boy, with wide eyes like Tessa and protruding cheekbones like Jem. He was very dedicated, practicing his violin every day with Jem without complaint. Tessa loved to watch them together, whether they were practicing with the violin or training for combat. Liam wasn't quite old enough to do group training yet, so Jem continued to work with him. Soon, however, he would join the other children of the LA institute.

Sometimes Tessa wondered if he would choose a _parabatai_. He seemed to be a solitary thing, even if he did not lack social skills. _Only time will tell. _She thought, as she always did.

"Brother Zachariah?" Emma, with her blonde hair tied tightly in a ponytail, came running down the stairs into the hall where Jem was. "When can I have a word?"

"Five minutes, unless it is urgent." He replied, then paused. "And Emma, you know I am no longer a brother."

"I know. I'll come back in five minutes, Uncle Jem." Half of the time, Emma called Jem "Brother Zachariah." Jem figured it was affectionate, or she was trying to annoy him, or both most likely. He thought back to his rather faulty explanation of his relation to her, halfway his first year at the LA institute.

He had taken her aside one day, one day he was sure he was ready to face who he really was. He looked nervously at Tessa, who patted his shoulder reassuringly, and he began to speak.

"Emma Carstairs. Do you know who I am?"

"You're Brother Zachariah, but you're not a brother anymore." She blinked confusedly at him.

"I was Brother Zachariah. You may call me Jem. Uncle Jem."

"U—uncle? But I thought I was the last of the Carstairs?" She muttered.

"That is because I have not been a Carstairs man for over a hundred years."

In a hurried speech, he had described everything to Emma, his addiction, the Magister, his near death and transformation into Brother Zachariah, and his re-emergence into life as Jem from the heavenly fire. Emma listened with rapt attention, and he watched her put all the pieces together. When he saw in her eyes that those pieces fit perfectly, he tentatively reached out an arm to her.

"Emma, I will be Uncle to you, if that is acceptable."

She smiled, eyes full of tears.

"All this time, I have had nothing, and now, now I have you. Of course you can be Uncle to me. I would have it no other way."

Jem was brought back to the present and out of his memories by an errant note in Liam's scale. He could see the frustration growing in his son's bright eyes, and so he went to him.

"Liam, you can rest for today. We'll work on the D scale tomorrow. Can you go to Mama and see if she needs any help with Elka or Marielle?" Liam was always a good older brother to his little sisters. He nodded his agreement and began to scamper off.

"Liam!" Jem called. "Where does the violin go?" And Liam trudged over, picked it up, then scampered off again.

"All right, Emma?" Jem looked to see her at the end of the hall. She was older now, nearly 27, but she still had all the energy of the child he had first met. "What's happening?"

"There's been a new arrival." Her eyes flitted around nervously. "It's a little…unorthodox."

"Unorthodox? How so?" Jem thought himself fairly well-versed in unorthodox, his life being the main example.

"I don't know how he got here, and…I can't understand him. He's quite young. I found him at the portal." Jem creased his forehead with worry. "Let me show you. Follow me." Emma turned and walked briskly away, Jem at her heels.

They entered a little side room, where inside stood a small, dirty, barefoot chinese boy. He was thin, with a pinched face from hunger and his almond shaped eyes were tired.

"Ni shi shei?" He spoke in mandarin, and only to Jem.

Jem translated. "Who are you?"

"Wo jiao Jem." I am Jem. "Ni jiao shenme ming zi?" What is your name?

"I—I am Kai." His voice was clear, although his English was broken. Jem spoke to him in Mandarin, only to find how little Kai knew of himself and why he was in LA.

All he could salvage was that Kai had been in the Beijing Institute when something had gone wrong. Someone had placed him in a portal and sent him to LA.

"Emma, contact the Beijing Institute immediately. They might be in danger." She hurried out of the room, leaving Jem with Kai.

"Kai, come with me. I will introduce you to my son, Liam. He could use a friend as much as you can. Don't worry, you'll be safe here."

Emma returned, her face worried.

"There's no trouble in Beijing. In fact, no one there has even heard of Kai."

"He's too young to lie that well. Someone must have lied to him."

"Perhaps there's another portal? The Beijing shadowhunters told me the portal had not been used in over a month."

"Kai?" Kai turned. Jem asked him in Mandarin, "Who are your parents?"

"Wo bu zi dao." I do not know.

Jem sighed. "Let me take him to Tessa, perhaps she will be able to help. But he can stay here. I'll care for him. Liam could use a friend."

**A/N: Hope you guys like it! And please, leave reviews, suggestions, comments, wishes for future plots/characters/etc, or anything really, in that little box below! I hope to have the next chapter up as soon as possible!**


	3. Of Throwing Knives and Retorts

**November 10th, 2031**

At thirteen years of age, Seraphine was a bundle of brown streaked blonde hair, golden eyes, and tanned skin. Clary sometimes looked at her in wonder, at her endless energy, competitive nature, and at her gorgeousness. Even in the middle of puberty, Seraphine was beautiful. It made Clary worry about the boys that would soon look her way.

_Thud. _The ornately carved knife embedded itself deep in the center of the target.

But then again, Seraphine was the best knife thrower anyone had ever seen, including Jace. And Jace was a fantastic shadowhunter, so for him to say that, well, that was phenomenal.

Clary was pretty sure Seraphine would be able to defend herself. Jace had seen to that.

As she walked up to Jace and placed his long fingers among her own, Clary looked around Alicante. It had been many years since she had been here, but as Seraphine would be starting her later trainings, it was time for her to see the main Institute. So far, however, Seraphine had refused to go anywhere until she had practiced extensively in the practice room. If anyone was dedicated, it was her. Competition was second nature to her. As she was Jace's daughter, Clary was not surprised in the least.

"Sera?" Jace called. "We are going for a walk. Remember, you need to be ready for dinner by six. And that means ready, not getting ready."

Seraphine resisted the temptation to roll her eyes at her father.

"Dad! You have so little faith in me!" She complained. "Of course I'll be ready!"

"That's what you said last time." Jace remarked dryly. "Remember how that turned out?" Seraphine blushed slightly as Jace continued. "If my mind remembers correctly, there were six fights, two broken ribs, a good amount of stitches, a ruined tablecloth, and a pair of snapped high heels."

"And a two week punishment of helping Uncle Magnus brush, AND BATHE, Chairman Meow." She muttered.

"One of my finer punishments." Jace smiled crookedly. "But yes, six o'clock. Sharp. I mean it, Seraphine."

"All right, all right. I'll be ready." She turned back to the targets.

And with that, Clary and Jace stepped out of the training room and into the cobblestone streets of Idris.

"She's going to be late, isn't she?" Clary whispered.

"I'll just have to top last time's punishment then." He grinned. "She'll need to learn some punctuality eventually, though."

Seraphine continued throwing various blades at the targets until she heard male voices approaching the practice room.

"Liam, what do you think of-" A tall Asian boy and a silver eyed boy entered the room. The Asian boy stopped talking as he saw Seraphine.

"Well, what do we have here?" He smirked. "Looks like someone's been throwing knives." He poked the other boy, Liam, Seraphine assumed. She saw the gleam of fresh competition in their eyes. _Boys._ Seraphine welcomed the competition.

"Are you any good?"

"They tell me I'm the best." Liam smiled at her confidence.

"Fancy a challenge?" He asked.

"You won't win." She retorted.

"What are you, ten?" Kai, always the one to speak exactly what he thought, butted in.

"I'm thirteen, thank you very much. And who do you think you are, anyways? Is this how you pick up girls, you insinuate they're babies and can't throw knives? Because I'll have you know, I'm no baby." Seraphine had always had a sharp tongue. It often landed her in fights.

Liam was surprised at her quick retorts.

"I'm Liam Carstairs, and this is Kai."

"Kai-"

"Just Kai." Kai's voice held a warning. _Don't ask._ Fortunately Seraphine was intuitive and did not press the issue.

"Well, Liam, Kai, stand next to me. I'll show you how knives are thrown."

She tossed the knife in her hand. It landed dead center. Two more, and she had made a triangle. Three more knives, and she made a star.

"It's one thing to hit the center of the target. It's another to hit the target and make what you will." The boys stood, speechless. Finally, Liam spoke.

"Are you as good with other weapons as you are with your aim? How 'bout without them?"

"Try me." Seraphine challenged him. Kai smirked. He and Liam were two of the best trainees . This girl didn't stand a chance.

"No weapons, then. Hand to hand combat." Kai proclaimed. "Let's see what they teach you in-which institute?"

"New York. I'm Seraphine Herondale. Remember that name when you're begging me for mercy."

They circled each other, ready to start a fight.


	4. Of Brawls and Other Things

Seraphine warily looked over Liam as they slowly circled each other. He was tall and slender, with muscles like wires rather than bunches. His pale skin held a hint of gold to it, but was lighter than hers. She noted long slender fingers, calloused in many places, more so on the left hand. He was leggy and gangly, putting her at a disadvantage. He would be able to reach her better than she could.

At the other side, Liam also looked over Seraphine. She was quite petite, with long blonde hair streaked with brown. He would have to watch out, she could definitely whip him with hair that length. Experience had taught him well. Isabelle and Simon's daughter, Lilah, had hair down to her waist and was not against using it. She took a few steps and he could easily see her inexperience. It figured, normally thirteen was when sparring training began. She could have only been at it a few months. He, on the other hand, had been sparring with Kai since they first met. _This will be a piece of cake. _Liam didn't really enjoy fighting, and rather preferred his violin, but he and Kai felt obligated to retain their reputation as the best trainees. So he always made his fights quick, to prevent either of them from getting injured while still upholding his reputation. This one didn't look like it would be any different.

She jabbed out with a punch, but he easily dodged it.

_Oh, so you're fast, are you?_ Seraphine was dismayed.

Another jab, another miss. Yes, he was very quick, and could anticipate her moves better than anyone she had ever fought before. She noted Kai out of the corner of her eyes. He was watching intensely, calculating their every move. As Liam lunged for her, she saw the faded mark of a yet to be made parabatai rune near his collarbones.

_He must be in Alicante for the parabatai ceremony. Looks like he and Kai are about to undergo it. No wonder, he's been sparring for longer than I have. Kai must be good at sparring. _

Just one look at Kai's calculating face and Seraphine knew he was a strategist. Together the two of them must have been the best in their institute. Vaguely she recalled hearing about a soon to be parabatai pair, excellent sparring partners. What had she gotten herself into?

"What institute are you from?" She grunted, hoping to distract him from beating her quickly.

"Los Angeles." He responded without missing a beat. Talking didn't faze him. She sighed inwardly.

Seraphine did not have much experience sparring with those older than her. She had just begun sparring training, unlike her learning to throw. But she had to try and get an advantage over Liam. It wasn't over just yet.

She feinted right, then kicked out roughly with her left foot. But instead of making harsh contact like she had expected, she found her other leg taken out from under her. She was abruptly dumped on the floor, and none too gently. She scampered away from Liam, who leapt at her and pinned her to the ground.

"You're not as good as you say, little girl." He grinned roughly, pushing her wrists into the floor, legs straddling hers. Seraphine's breathing increased rapidly, a feeling of electricity clashing with her disappointment of losing. She had never been so close to a boy before, as Jace was fiercely protective.

"Called my bluff, did you?" Seraphine knew she wasn't as good with hand to hand combat as she was with throwing knives, but she wasn't half bad, either. She opened her mouth to make another scathing retort, when a shout tore the air.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?" Jace's voice thundered throughout the practice room. "I LEAVE YOU FOR TEN MINUTES AND COME BACK TO FIND YOU UNDER THE LEGS OF A BOY?"

"Jace, I'm sure you're overreacting." Clary tugged gently at his sleeve, but to no avail. Jace had lost it, as usual. He shook off Clary's hand and ran over to Seraphine, tugging her to her feet and pushing her behind him. Clary rolled her eyes. Sometimes Jace's protective streak ran too deep.

"Your name." It wasn't a request. Liam, at least had the decency to look slightly abashed, if not incredibly amused.

"Liam Carstairs. And nothing's happened. We were sparring." Jace grinned maniacally, smirking a bit.

"The Carstairs owe the Herondales." He whispered. He took a slow, deep breath, calming himself.

The world seemed to stop as Jace seemed to be deciding how to go about channeling his anger. But then he composed his features as Liam spoke.

"We. Were. Sparring." Liam punctuated each word with a sharp breath. Looking at Jace's slowly calming expression, then added a tentative, "…Sir?"

At that, Jace burst out laughing.

"Just sparring? Seraphine's not had much practice with sparring combat yet." He mused. "But rest assured, should I ever find you more than sparring with my daughter, things will go quite differently than today."

As far as threats went, this was pretty serious. But then again, Jace was ever the drama king. He scowled slightly at Liam as he beckoned Seraphine to go stand with Clary.

"Jem is your father, is he not?" Liam nodded, slowly.

"Tell him to come to dinner tomorrow, Tessa too. It's been a while since we've last met."

Liam's eyebrows nearly hit the roof. He was apparently uninformed of Jace and his relation to Tessa.

"We can't. Tomorrow, Kai and I are undergoing the parabatai ceremony tomorrow." At that, Jace absentmindedly traced his own parabatai rune.

"The next night then." Again, it wasn't a request. Clary stifled a giggle. She had a feeling Jace was going to try and matchmake them, because he then would be able to keep eyes on Seraphine. _The Carstairs owe the Herondales. _That wasn't exactly what Clary had in mind, but she couldn't say the same thing about Jace.

_Oh, Jace. _Clary shook her head internally.

"Seraphine?" You might as well start getting ready for the dinner tonight."

For once in her life, Seraphine went quietly away, but not before she shot daggers of hatred at Liam.

"Just you wait." She hissed at him as she passed by.

"I wouldn't dream of it." He murmured softly, a look of slight amusement and wonder as she strode away.

Jace scowled as he watched Liam look over his daughters retreating figure. _He won't be the only one looking at her, either. I should send her to a convent._

**_A/N I hope this matches expectations! I'll be getting into the real plot soon, so please leave suggestions, reviews, etc, in that little box below! Thanks for reading!_**


	5. Of Duets and Stubborn Girls

"No." Seraphine growled. "Under no conditions do I agree to this." She narrowed her burnt gold eyes at her parents. Clary and Jace sighed simultaneously. They had anticipated that she was going to be difficult.

"I know you're not fond of Liam, but the Clave needs a way into this venue." Clary's voice was calm, but a bit of irritation simmered beneath the surface.

"Then they can find someone else to do it. Someone willing." Stubborn was one way to describe Seraphine.

"You and Liam are the only ones who can do it." _Like I've said a million times so far. _Jace thought, irritated. They had been arguing about this for the last half hour and he was getting tired of her excuses. _If the Clave had asked me to jump, I would have said, "How high?". But my child..._

"Liam can enter the competition with Kai, then! I don't have to go! In fact, Kai should go because he's Liam's parabatai."

"They only want piano or violin duets. Kai can't go in there with his drums, they won't have it."

"Use a persuasion rune, then!"

"For an event on mundane national television?" Jace replied dryly. "Sera, you know those runes won't work on those watching via television."

"These demons, either they're getting smarter, or someone's directing their movements, causing the attacks to be difficult to predict, more public, harder to prevent. And they're growing more frequent. It is the Clave's responsibility to find out what's going on. You know that. And based on previous evidence and current theory, upcoming music competitions seem to be the target, and the next one is in two months' time. It's a classical competition, for pianists and string musicians, and you and Liam are the only ones with enough classical music and fighting training expertise to infiltrate and provide the Clave with the information they need. We need to get to the bottom of this. You understand, yes?" Clary was quite persuasive, but Seraphine was as stubborn, if not more so, than Jace.

"You're sure it can't be anyone else?"

"This particular competition is for young adults, ages 17 to 22. And as you know, those are prime ages for demons to prey upon, all that life, all that vigor. You're 17 and Liam's 19, and you are both classical musicians. You won't stand out, so you both can get what we need.

"This isn't a request, is it?" Seraphine remarked without amusement. "But why can't Liam go solo, surely it's not a duet competition."

"You would send a Shadowhunter into the mundane world to hunt demons alone?" Jace raised an eyebrow, giving a disapproving look. "You were taught better than to expect that."

"I know…" She muttered, a surly expression on her dainty face.

"It is better to go in as a duet pair, so you can each be safe and you can be seen together. Two in the lion's den is better than one. Plus, Jem Carstairs has been dying for you two to play a duet together. The guy's over a hundred and fifty years old, surely you could set aside your differences for two short months."

"You won't even really have to talk to him. Just play the damned music and complete the mission. It's simple." Jace did have a way with words.

"Sera, it will go better for you if you just agree and go along with it. It is an honor to be picked for such a mission, and it will do you no good to disrespect the Clave while you are so young. They are not forgiving, you know that."

"Fine." Seraphine muttered darkly."Fine."

"Good, you've already been entered into the competition with Liam as your partner. You'll need to pack, we're sending you to the Los Angeles Institute to learn and practice the duet with Liam. No dawdling, either. We've arranged for the portal to be opened tomorrow at nine. You'll have a month and a half at the Institute to train before they send you to the hotel where the competition is taking place. Remember, this is a great honor to represent shadowhunter talent to the mundane world, even if they won't recognize you are a shadowhunter. You will also need to be cautious, living among mundanes is not like living at the institute. But they will teach you before you immerse yourself in the mundane world. Now don't look at me like that, Seraphine. The world is not conspiring against you."

"You're telling me." She grumbled. "You're not the one who's packing up to leave tomorrow to go live with a boy you hate."

"No, but you're not having to deal with being seduced by your own blood brother while convinced the boy you love is your brother." Clary retorted lightly. Seraphine winced slightly, recognizing how selfish she was being. Her life was paradise compared to the craziness of her parents' past.

"All right, you've made your point. I'll go quietly."

_Even though I don't want though this could be just another way for Liam to humiliate me. _She thought, even though she knew it wasn't true. Liam and Seraphine, while the institutes they stayed at were not close, continued a sort of heavy rivalry no one could contest. Seraphine, highly competitive as she was, had never forgotten how easily Liam had landed her on the ground in their first sparring match, as well as many other rematches. While she was the best knife thrower of the trainees, she could not best Liam in sparring, even now. And she resented him for it. She wanted to be the best, like Jace had once been. But Liam was not to be underestimated. While he never seemed to be fully engaged in their rivalry, he single handedly beat her in every sparring match she threw at him. His easygoing manner infuriated her, as well as the way things seemed to come naturally to him.

Seraphine hated it.

She hated him for it.

And now, now she was to spend two months with him? To go to Los Angeles and practice with him everyday? How was she to deal with her failure standing right in front of her, every day, with a rosined bow and beautiful instrument? She didn't want to look into his silver eyes and know that her inability to be the best was due to the boy in front of her.

But she knew her duty. She was, first and foremost, a shadowhunter. And that meant she would do what was asked of her.

However, that didn't mean she was going to go down without a fight. Seraphine, as much as she hated Liam, never did anything by halves.

If they were going to enter a competition, then by the angel, they were going to win.

**A/N Thank you for reading! Please put reviews/comments/suggestions/new character ideas/names/etc into the hungry little box below! And follow/fave if you want :)**


	6. Of Portals and a Lack of Manners

Seraphine took a deep breath and stepped gingerly into the portal. Even though it was not her first time using one, the eerie feeling that came with its use never seemed to lessen with time.

It was akin to stepping into a bath, except the portal was always exactly her skin temperature and the strange sensation of liquid without warmth accompanied it. It was what she imagined the womb felt like.

There was a tight squeezing sensation, and then it was done. New York was gone and Los Angeles stood in its place. Even though the view had not really changed, as all portal rooms were set up similarly, she knew she had left her home behind. For one reason, standing in front of the portal stood one disgruntled looking Liam Carstairs.

"I was wondering if you were ever going to show." He muttered, narrowing silver flecked gray eyes at her. She returned the glare twofold.

"I am true to my word, if nothing else." She hissed softly in reply. "Even if this is a mission I didn't ask for." She stepped out of the portal, and a sense of uncertainty hit her like a wave. Her body temperature seemed to spike, and she almost felt woozy. _How strange, _She thought, _This hasn't happened since….since…_

_Since the day you became a monster. _Her inner voice cut in like a knife. But her ramblings were cut short by Liam's words.

"You're not the only one who didn't want this mission." Liam sighed, and the sound made her feel alert, pushing away the unease that had slowly risen within her. "But we all have our duties, don't we now?"

As his voice trailed off, Seraphine noticed with chagrin that Liam had grown even more handsome since the last time she had seen him. He now stood at nearly six feet tall, lanky like a ballet dancer, but she knew he was stronger than he appeared. He had muscles like spider webs, stronger than silk. His voice, when spoken softly, held a hint of romance to it, a lilt that spoke of his multilingual abilities. Seraphine had heard many a teen girl gush over that Carstairs boy, and while he was her rival and now grudging comrade, she could not deny he was a fine male specimen.

She looked into his eyes and the uneasiness went away. _Perhaps it will be okay, after all. Perhaps the last time was a fluke, a mistake. It won't happen here. It won't happen now._

"Here." Liam thrust a plain, shiny black folder into her one free hand. "Make sure you practice. I can't be carrying your dead weight in such a prestigious competition." A glint shone in his silvery eyes, and the last of the clouds in her head evaporated as she looked steadily at him. "I may not desire this mission, but by the angel, if I'm forced to enter this competition, I sure am going to win." At this, Seraphine chuckled, remembering how she had arrived at the exact same conclusion.

"For once, I agree with you." She replied, grabbing her suitcase from the floor. "But now, where am I staying? I am going to be here quite a while, you know. You'd better give me a tour. A thorough tour. We both know what sort of ills can befall unsuspecting wanderers." She narrowed her eyes at him.

"You know you'd best not wander." He returned the glare. The atmosphere was charged, tense, but not yet angry. Just tense, as it always was between the two of them.

Flustered, Liam ran long fingers through his dark hair. She hadn't even been here five minutes and she was already pestering and demanding of him.

_I guess I'll just have to be equally demanding and uptight. _He thought grimly. _But I'm sure I saw her falter at the portal mouth. No one ever falls out of the portal. I wonder what was wrong…._

Seraphine, in his opinion, was rather a handful. She was impudent, headstrong, highly competitive, and of course, she had enough creativity and beauty to get away with it. But Liam always felt exhausted after dealing with her.

_Is she so exhausted from me? _He wondered. He had always felt there was a side of her that no one saw. He was certain there was a backstory to why their rivalry was so heated. It was not simply what she made it appear. Liam had made it his, well, side mission to discover what was at the heart of their rivalry. Because while Seraphine was competitive, he had a hunch that was not the sole reason behind her hatred of him. There had to be something more.

"I'm waiting." She tapped a foot impatiently, interrupting his musings.

"Well, I'm waiting for your manners to show, my dear Miss Herondale." Liam smirked slightly, and she raised a well groomed eyebrow at him. "You'll have to be quite the lady at this competition, especially if we're going to be on a mission, and I think it would be best if you start practicing now." His voice had grown quiet, but chiding, like an elder's.

Seraphine's eyes bugged out a little with indignation, but she wisely held her tongue. Even she knew Liam had some seniority over her, as she was not quite of age at 17, while at 19, he was.

"Please, Mr. Carstairs, then. Might you grace me with a tour of this wonderful institute?" She rolled her eyes as she spoke; she wouldn't submit so easily. She never did, it wasn't in her nature. But she could be a lady well enough, when it was required of her. She just preferred not to.

The smirk Liam wore grew wider as he witnessed her over the top change in demeanor. _Perhaps there is hope for us after all. She may yet be able to play her part in this mission._

Liam had worried she would be unable to set aside their rivalry to complete the mission, but so far it appeared to be doable. He sighed inwardly.

_I'll have to remind her of her manners. Probably daily. But if it gets the job done…She'll have to learn to police herself or we'll never make it two days in the competition. _

He raised his eyes to hers and plastered his politest, fakest smile over his face.

"Of course Miss Herondale. I will show you to your room. May I take your suitcase?" Liam was sure a lot of the bravado Seraphine showed him was just an act, and was determined to get her to reveal her true nature. As the competition was about classical music, it would take more than just talent to get through. The competition held high behavioral standards for its competitors. Liam had been raised on older ideals, those more befitting of his parent's time, and thus it was said he was quite the gentleman.

But Seraphine? She was not a lady; she was a spitfire, anybody could tell you that. Liam worried she wouldn't keep up, wouldn't step up, and they would never get far enough into the competition to complete the mission. There was a lot of training to be done before either of them could be ready to perform.

He reached out for Seraphine's suitcase and tugged it gently from her grasp. As he did, his fingers brushed hers. A feeling like slight static shocked through him, and her skin felt warmer than average, although he couldn't say for sure.

_Maybe she's ill. _He mused. _I hope she isn't. _He paused as a wave of worry flooded his soul. _How odd. _Liam often carried himself with a smooth, carefree, and gentle presence, one that kept him from feeling too deeply. He tried to avoid large swings in emotion, as such things were problematic for him. So to worry about someone other than his family, or Kai, was unfamiliar.

_It's the mission I'm worried about. _He told himself firmly. _I don't want to have to go alone. _

With that, he straightened and strode out of the room. Seraphine followed behind, silent for once.

**A/N: Hello! I've edited this so hopefully it makes more sense with the rest of it...If this is your first read through, I hope you like it! If not, thanks for reading again! Please leave commentary, your comments give me life. Thanks! 3**


	7. Of Silver and Control

Seraphine dutifully followed Liam, subdued. She sighed deeply, wishing she was home in New York.

Liam always brought out the worst in her, sharpening her already razored tongue and making her blood boil. She felt too warm when she was with him, a fraction from losing control, something she had vowed never to do again.

When their hands had touched, all the blood had rushed to the point of contact, making her internally recoil from Liam's touch, even if it felt like heaven. The electricity in her veins called to him, more than anything else, and it scared Seraphine half to death. She wasn't sure if she would ever be able to handle Liam with any sort of grace. That burning only called to him when she released her iron hold on her true self, and so she had managed for years, hiding behind her fear and her ego. She had never told a soul why exactly her rivalry with Liam was so heated, never breathed a word of how sparring with him quelled the electricity under her skin, while a normal touch sent it into overdrive. To her, Liam was two sides of the same coin: a facade of anger with relief, or truth with uncomfortable pressure.

And now, this mission seemed to require she release her carefully constricted facade and face her true self, with Liam at her side. She wasn't sure if she could do it. She wasn't sure she even wanted to.

But the mission. The mission had to be completed. It was her duty.

And Seraphine never turned from duty.

Seraphine swallowed hard, tasting the bitter tang of fear in her mouth. She couldn't bear to lose control again, the first time had left her determined to hold fast to the electricity running in her veins. But she feared the effect Liam had on her. There was something about him, something dangerous that was like a drug to her. She knew he was blissfully unaware of the fact, the fact that sometimes even the color of his eyes made her feel dizzy, euphoric, and out of control.

She was so lost in her thoughts and her fear, he jumped a little when he broke the silence.

"This will be your room." They had stopped at a narrow hallway containing about four doors. "Keys." He tossed a pair of bright silver keys at her. "One is to the room, the other, to lock up your weapons. During the mission, that is." Seraphine gingerly pocketed the keys. She hated silver in all it's forms. Except...she didn't. When she was truly honest, she knew the beauty in it pleased her, but the underlying feeling it produced made her hate it. Interestingly enough, it was the same fluttering panic that Liam's touch wrought.

"Thanks." She murmured softly, turning the keys so they clinked in her pocket.

"My room's next door." He gestured to their left, then nodded towards the right. "There's the practice room. Lilah's returned to New York for a while, so we've turned her room into the practice room for the mission."

"Right." That was right, Lilah, who was a year older than Liam, had been back and forth between New York and LA for most of her life. New York to be with Isabelle and Simon, her parents, and LA to model of course. Lilah had inherited Isabelle's good looks and Simon's gentle, captivating smile, and so had managed to dazzle the mundane world while remaining a shadowhunter. But she would be gone for the mission's duration.

Seraphine dragged her mind off Lilah and back to the mission at hand.

"You'll be expected to practice two hours on your own everyday, then another two hours with me. And then an hour of training with weapons and sparring and such." He raised an eyebrow at her. "And if our performance is unsatisfactory, then the practices will be longer. We only have two weeks until we have to start the mission. By then we must be ready." He looked into her eyes, a rueful look on his face. "So if you want to see less of me, practice more." He sighed briefly. "I'll be back to give you a tour, after dinner. After the tour, we'll have practice. Understand?"

Seraphine nodded, and Liam left, entering his own room.

So she unlocked the door and surveyed her new quarters. They were fairly standard, a bed, a desk, a dresser. The only non standard addition was the upright nestled in the corner. Seraphine smiled and placed her suitcase on the floor. Unpacking could wait. She opened the black folder and removed the sheet music with care, placing it on the piano stand.

The piece was about ten pages long, and mournful sounding. It was beautifully haunting but soothed the fire in her skin. She learnt it slowly, taking in each detail and enjoying the feel of ivory keys against her skin.

And then, all too soon, it was over and Liam was knocking at her door, calling her to dinner.

Seraphine sighed softly as she closed the piano lid, threw on a jacket, and softly padded over to the door.

Liam stood in front of the door. His hair shone a glossy black with wetness, and he wore his training gear.

"Dinner first, then I'll show you where everything is. Although you should be able to figure this out on your own. This institute is set up just like all the others.

So they walked side by side to the kitchen in silence from then. But as the silence lengthened and filled the air, so did Seraphine's unease. The ever present heat in her veins prickled and intensified within her, filling her with unending panic. She stopped walking, halting a few feet from the kitchen door. Liam noticed her pause.

"Are...are you all right?" He spoke hesitantly. Concern for Seraphine was not an emotion he was well versed in. Serpahine shook her head roughly, not trusting herself to speak. Slowly she sank to the cold wooden floor, planting her burning palms firmly on the cool surface. Liam looked on, his silver eyes huge with worry. He tentatively reached out for her hands, but she gasped and snatched them away from his touch.

"No!" The words flew out of her mouth, airy bubbles of speech bursting before she could compose herself. Liam's eyebrows knitted together as he looked at her skin.

"Your hands..." He murmured softly, and for the first time, Seraphine noticed just hoa visible her veins were. They pulsed with energy, thin red streaks outlined in gold. And Liam could see them. He gingerly reached out his hand and stroked the most prominent line with his index finger. "Heavenly fire." He looked her in the eyes, gold and silver gazes intertwining.

"A side effect of my parentage," Seraphine whispered. "one I cannot control." She tried to pull her hands back to herself, to hide them, but Liam snaked his long fingers into hers, interlacing them. She forced herself to breathe slowly, but the panic continued to elevate. "Don't touch me, I don't want you to get hurt."

"I won't." He whispered. "You'll be fine." He tugged on her hands, and a surge of energy shot through her.

"No!" She gasped, but sparks flew from between their locked fingers. She could feel the energy building, the heat rising through her veins. Her control snapped.

She had failed.

**A/N Hello friends! It's been wayyyyy too long since I've written, sorry bout that. College is a bit demanding, you know. But if you've stayed with me, or are just arriving, Hello! If you could leave a review or follow or something, that would be lovely. Here's to a fast update for the next chapter! 3**


	8. Of Fear and Explanations

**A/N Hello friends! Its been sooooooo long, sorry, life is crazy! But I did eventually get this going, sorry its short. Hopefully I can write again soon. Enjoy!**

Seraphine curled up in a ball, her hands smarting, burning. And yet, somehow they were still attached to Liam's. He held her fingers between his, and a comforting warmth flowed between them, unlike the ash she expected.

"Strange." He breathed, as he pulled his hands from hers, showering sparks onto the floor. He wiggled his fingers in wonder, watching crackles of lightning between them. Seraphine slowly looked up at him, her eyes widening in shock.

"How….why?" She stammered, "How can this be?"

Liam rubbed his hands together until the sparks faded away. Seraphine watched the skin at his hands grow lighter until they matched the rest of his skin. She had been so wrapped up in her blind panic that she hadn't noticed the subtle change in color.

"I've got a bit of a side effect of my parentage as well, Sera." Seraphine stiffened slightly at the mention of her nickname, one he had never used before. "You know my mother Tessa, is…well…gifted. I inherited a portion of her talents. They're diluted from the thinning of her blood, and as a result they're also different in nature."

"Aunt Tessa is a shapeshifter."

"Yes." Liam shifted his weight to stand up. He held out a hand to Seraphine, who shied away from his touch. "You won't hurt me that way, you know." He held up that same hand, which turned a shade darker, to her skin color exactly. He reached for her again, and this time she didn't stop him from helping her up. Even though her skin still held traces of electricity, the sparks did not spread as she had expected. They ran up the skin that was colored like hers but did not touch anything else. As he let go of her hand, his skin became smooth and uniform again.

"You're a shapeshifter, too." It wasn't a question. Seraphine lifted her gold eyes to meet Liam's silver ones. "But I've never heard…"

"You keep your quirks under wraps. So do I." He sighed. "I can only change parts of myself, bits and pieces here and there. Occasionally, with the right circumstances, I can make a full change. But usually, it's unintentional. Too much emotion, too much feeling can do it. But even then it's unpredictable. And dangerous. We both know of my father's troubles, demons and addictions. None of it was his fault, but the disposition has passed to me in a way. I must always be careful. Addiction is a dangerous path. "

Seraphine trembled slightly as the sparks fell away from her skin, leaving her pale and drawn, a light pallor beneath tanned skin. She walked a few steps away and hid her face in her hands. After a few moments she wiped tears from her cheeks and straightened her shoulders, walking away from Liam.

"So now you know." He met her eyes without flinching, his silver gaze warm and steady.

"I always assumed. You're a good actor, but I always knew you had something to hide."

"Only because you hide your own secret so well."

"I don't use my gifts unless I have to. A rare occurrence, when I do. Such as now." He nodded his head in her direction and chuckled slightly. "It is fortunate for me, I suppose, that my gifts were useful just now." He shook out his hands. "Has this happened before?" His tone was soft, serious.

"Once. And I vowed it would never happen again."

"How?"

Seraphine shook her head slowly, forcing her hair into her eyes.

"Do you remember the last time the brothers were called to erase a mass amount of memories?" Her words were hesitant.

"The incident with the murderer? The very public one? That was you?" He whispered. "That's right…there was a man who combusted into ash when I was about 13. It seemed strange that the brothers would be called in for such an unusual occurrence. I thought it was demon related, or we all assumed. What happened?"

"I didn't know what he was after. I didn't even know who he was. But he grabbed me away from my parents, I screamed…and then I screamed more when he disintegrated in front of me." She shuddered. "He deserved it, I later found out, but to know he perished at my hands, at something I can't control…" Seraphine looked sharply at Liam. "I vowed it would never happen again."

She pulled away from Liam and started pacing. "Its been getting worse, being here." She lowered her voice. "With you."

_I knew it._ Liam thought. _I knew she treated me this way for a reason. _

"Why me?" He questioned. "Why is it worse here, with me?"

"I don't know." She muttered. "I never have."

A thought burst into Liam's head, something he had once heard long ago. _Some souls are bound to one another, as if God most high wrapped a golden thread around them and sent them into the world to accomplish a purpose when the time was right._

He shook his head. Where had he heard that? And why would it come to mind now?

There was no way Seraphine and he were meant for great things. Separately, perhaps, but not together. They couldn't even get to training without issues getting in the way.

_You're overthinking this. Calm down, we'll just get the mission done, keep either of us from turning to ash, and we'll be fine._

With that, Liam turned to Seraphine and flashed a toothy grin.

"Shall we go to dinner, then? The others are probably wondering what we're up to." He offered his hand to her.

Seraphine smiled back, shakily, and took it.

Liam heard her quiet sigh of relief as no sparks flew this time.

_We're never going to complete this mission, are we? _Liam thought, laughing quietly to himself to diffuse the tension. He looked at Seraphine's bitten lips and sighed.

_Perhaps now that I know her secret, we can get along. Perhaps._


	9. Of Observations and Cold Food

Chapter 9: Of Observations and Cold Food

By the time the two of them finally arrived at the dinner table, the food was stone cold and only Tessa was left sitting at the table. She raised a slow eyebrow at Liam as he gingerly sat down next to her.

"It's about time." Tessa spoke softly, but Seraphine heard the curiosity underlying her voice. It was no secret that their parents had hoped for their children to get along, and more. But until now, little had actually brought them together. So she could see why Tessa was curious.

"I was giving Sera a tour of our institute…" Liam began, and Sera suddenly began to panic. _I never told him not to tell! He'll give away my secret, and no one will look at me the same again!_ Her burnt gold eyes widened and she began plotting how to shut him up, no matter what it took. _I am not a monster. I refuse to let anyone look at me like I am one. I am in control._

Just as she opened her mouth to discredit Liam, he quickly shut his by shoveling in a heaping spoonful of mashed potatoes. Tessa chuckled slightly. If there was one thing Liam had inherited from his father, it was his ability to enjoy food. When Jem had returned to himself, Tessa had never tired of making him new foods, never tired of taking him to new places. Liam, since his first days of life, was no different.

Sera watched, with some amusement, as Liam completely shut himself off to the world as he ate. She relaxed, trying the food Tessa had made.

_Oh. _She thought, _I see why he eats so intensely._ She took another bite, then another and another. _Tessa's a fantastic cook._ _I wonder how good this would have been if it was actually warm. _

Not surprisingly, the rest of the dinner passed in silence. Tessa spent the time observing her son, trying to gage his behavior. She knew Seraphine had a peculiar effect on everyone, but for some reason, Liam was doubly affected. Every emotion she had ever seen in Liam was magnified twofold when Seraphine was around. She was electric to him, she made him stand out in a crowd, his smile brighter than around anyone else.

Of course, that meant his anger was even more ferocious. Across the board, Seraphine made him more powerful but also more vulnerable. She was a double edged sword.

But a double edged sword was necessary sometimes. And for this mission, they very well could need a wild card.

Tessa suspected Seraphine had some remnant of heavenly fire in her being, but had no idea how or when it would be revealed. Liam's gifts were only of use in high emotional states, but they were useful nonetheless.

Which was exactly why she had pushed for him to be paired with Seraphine for this mission, and no one else. Secretly, she hoped Seraphine would train him to use his gifts wisely. Her temper would force him to be calm, or he would learn the extent of his powers.

Of course, the mission mattered to her as well. The recent demon attacks were stranger than the rest, of a certain pattern and will not unlike those of her past. But Tessa pushed down those thoughts. She hated to think her dearest son would be sent into such danger so soon. And with a firecracker of a girl.

"Have you two planned to train for tonight? Two weeks is not a lot of time, I fear." Tessa's voice was soft, but sharp. Liam knew the tone well.

"I've already looked at the piece, we could try a few run-throughs tonight." Seraphine meekly offered. Liam smiled. _So she did have some measure of decency!_

"What did you think of the piece?" Liam asked, curious to hear her thoughts. He watched as her golden eyes lit up like embers as she thought about the music with joy and fondness.

"It was beautiful. The minor key, the tempo changes…the sweet, complete ending…what wasn't to like? It felt like I followed two lovers throughout their relationship, an amazingly haunting tune…I can't quite describe it but it soothed my soul." Her voice flowed with description, a tone that she hardly ever used. Liam felt it coat his ears, like he could listen to her for days. _What a stark difference from how she normally speaks to me. It's…beautiful...like her._

Liam snapped his eyes up to his mother as she raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like you're quite smitten with it."

_Wait, what are these thoughts? We haven't even spent any time together, I can't be thinking she's beautiful._ Liam pulled himself together and returned to reality.

"Oh yes," Seraphine gushed, looking so much younger than Liam had ever seen. "I could kiss the composer, whoever they are, they're phenomenal. I can only imagine how the duet will sound."

Tessa chuckled. "You hear that Liam? Looks like you'll be getting a kiss soon." Liam turned bright red as she spoke, looking down embarrassedly. Seraphine stopped cold.

"You wrote the piece?" Liam watched the blood drain from her face as he nodded mutely. "You're a composer?" Tessa watched with amusement.

"I'll be leaving you two alone now, Sera, you do need him for the mission, so please don't attack my son for his excellent composing skills." With that, she left the two staring each other down, all the while laughing to herself. _I've never seen a better match. They're made for each other…if only they can bring themselves to realize it._

**A/N Hello everyone, soooooo sorry it has literally taken me a year to update this story! I've been busy graduating and applying to medical school so I haven't had much time. But now I am back, so let me know what you think! Hope you haven't given up on me yet! **

**~Alison**


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